COPD's first impact is on lung health, including a greater risk for bacterial infections. Find out more about this and other health complications associated with the lung disease.

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When healthy, your lungs have a great ability to fight off respiratory infections. “Normal mucus production and normal ciliary function help to prevent bacteria and other organisms from adhering to the lining of the breathing tubes,” says Brian Carlin, MD, pulmonologist and past chair of the COPD Alliance. “In COPD, the normal lung defense mechanisms are impaired as a result of the exposure to cigarette smoke or other irritants, and the bacteria or other organisms can adhere to the lining of the breathing tubes.”

For this reason, COPD makes you more susceptible to mucosal infections, such as respiratory tract infections. Now, a study published by Lund University in Sweden identified an increased risk of bacterial infections such as tuberculosis (TB) and Staphylococcus (staph) infections in people with COPD. “These findings confirm the ability of bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms (in this case, the mycobacterium that causes tuberculosis) to adhere to the airways and other lung tissue and cause infection,” says Dr. Carlin.

Once infection has set in, ongoing inflammation is possible, and that can have dire consequences. “This ongoing inflammation can further impair the ability of the lung to combat other organisms. This can ultimately result in a further increase in mucus secretion, disrupted ciliary activity, and injury to the airway walls, all resulting in progressive lung damage,” adds Carlin.

Reducing Your Risks

By taking a proactive approach, you may be able to reduce your risk of respiratory and bacterial infections. Jonathan C. Weissler, MD, member of the COPD Foundation Clinical Advisory Committee (CAC) and professor and vice chairman of the department of internal medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas and chief of medicine at UT Southwestern University Hospitals, says immunization and common sense are key. He points to a Cochrane database analysis of multiple trials of influenza vaccination in COPD published in 2006, which concluded that immunization reduced not only exacerbations caused by influenza, but total COPD exacerbations as well.

“Common sense plays an important role in reducing the risk of infection in patients with COPD,” says Dr. Weissler. “Avoiding sick contacts especially during flu season is a reasonable strategy. Limitation of travel, particularly travel on airplanes, avoiding visits to shopping malls, and limiting exposure to school-age children during such time is strongly encouraged with severe COPD.” Frequent and thorough hand washing is also high on the list.

Avoiding Other Possible Complications

Here are other significant health conditions you want to do your best to avoid:

Pneumothorax, also known as a collapsed lung, occurs when a weakened area of the lung collapses or ruptures under the pressure of the air surrounding it. This type of complication is more likely to occur if you have emphysema. There is no known way to prevent a collapsed lung, but not smoking decreases the risk.

Depression is a serious complication of COPD. Approximately 20 percent of people with a chronic health condition also develop depression. The combination of depression and a chronic health problem can compound and make potential negative outcomes more likely. Medication, therapy, or a combination of both can help.

Malnutrition has far-reaching implications when you have COPD. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests malnutrition is the end result of a chain reaction — difficulty breathing translates to a lack of energy, which leads to losing interest in eating. Being malnourished opens the door to new problems, the loss of body cell mass, which increases the risk of serious illness. Discuss how to regain your interest in food and how to get maximum nutrition from every meal to maintain muscle mass and, in turn, your quality of life.

Osteoporosis is a disease that makes bones weak and more likely to break. Lack of physical activity, low body mass index, smoking, malnutrition, and use of corticosteroids for treating your lung condition all conspire to make osteoporosis a common COPD complication. Eating a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D can help to reduce your risk of osteoporosis.

Peripheral vascular disease develops when the arteries carrying blood to and from arms or legs start to narrow and become clogged. The most common symptoms are cramps, numbness, and pain. The absolute most important thing you can do to slow PVD is to stop smoking.

Pulmonary hypertension is abnormally high blood pressure in the arteries located in the lung that places stress on the right side of the heart, making it work harder than normal. COPD causes pulmonary hypertension by producing a chronic lowering of oxygen concentration in the airspace of the lung. There isn’t a cure for this condition, but effectively managing COPD and other contributing medical problems can help to lessen the stress and strain placed on the heart.

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